Lamplighter ranks
The following is a list of lamplighter ranks in order from highest to lowest. While only the lamplighters responsible for the Conduit Vermis who were headquartered at Winstermill are featured in the story, the rank structure is presumably the same for lamplighters stationed elsewhere in the Haacobin Empire. Commissioned officers These ranks provide the leadership and direction for the lamplighters. Qualifications and training to become an officer were not elaborated on, unlike the enlistment and progression for other ranks. Lamplighter-Marshal The Lamplighter-Marshal is the commanding officer of the lamplighters responsible for a conductor or Imperial conduit. As there are several of these, there are a corresponding number of lamplighter-marshals stationed across the empire. Also known as marshal-lighter, it is an Imperial commission that is normally only granted to peers, with the sole exception of Protogenës. He and two other notable historic marshals were the namesakes of the three prentice-watches at Winstermill during the autumn and winter of HIR 1601: Q Protogenës, Q Io Harpsicarius, and Q Hesiod Gæta. The Lamplighter-Marshal who appears is the unnamed Eighth Earl of the Baton Imperial of Fayelillian. Warden-General The Warden-General holds secondary command of the Conduit Vermis and is also responsible for the fortress of Haltmire, the final bastion before the road enters the Ichormeer. He is the highest ranking lamplighter officer stationed on the road itself and is outranked only by the Lamplighter-Marshal. At Winstermill, Warden-General is equivalent in rank to General-Master-of-Labours, General-Master-of-Palliateers, and Comptroller-Master General. The unnamed Warden-General's family got lost in the Ichormeer a decade before the main story. This resulted in a large scale search that ended disastrously with heavy casualties. Only the middle daughter was saved.Lamplighter explicarium Lamplighter-Major Lamplighter-Major is the third most senior commissioned rank. If the officer commands a cothouse, his proper title is Major-of-House, but is also known as house-major. He is responsible not just for the running of his cothouse, but also for the section of the road which comes under his jurisdiction. This includes maintenance and upkeep, rescuing travelers from monster attack, and security against monsters and those involved with the dark trades. As a member of the house-watch, the House-Major is permanently stationed at the cothouse and does not participate in the lantern-watches. Named house-majors are Grystle, who commanded Wormstool, Wombwell, the commander of Dovecote Bolt, and Fortunatus, the commander of Bleakhall. Lamplighter-Captain Lamplighter-Captain or Captain-Lighter is an intermediate rank that may be held by a commissioned officer. At Winstermill it is equivalent in rank to Captain-of-Pediteers and Captain-of-Thaumateers. The only lamplighter-captain to be mentioned in the story is the one stationed at Bleakhall, who was at a conference in Haltmire when Rossamünd Bookchild and Threnody reported there on their first visit.Lamplighter, Chapter 22 Altern-Lighter Altern-Lighter is the lowest commissioned rank. The rank may also be referred to as lieutenant. Altern-Lighters are distinguished by the white oversleeves that they wear. It is equivalent to the pediteer rank of Subaltern. The only altern-lighter to be mentioned in the story is the one stationed at Bleakhall, who was the ranking officer present when Rossamünd Bookchild and Threnody reported there on their first visit. Other ranks The following are s, which are referred to as , the real world term. They are responsibly for carrying out the day to day tasks of the lamplighters as commissioned officers tend to remain stationed at the cothouses and fortresses. The s provide the backbone of the lamplighters as they would for any military. Master-of-Lighters Master-of-Lighters or Sergeant-Master is the seniormost rank that a lamplighter who is not an officer can attain. In cothouses this rank is known as Cot-Warden. At Winstermill it is equivalent to the following ranks: *Master-of-Works *Master-of-Pediteers *Master-of-Ordnance *Master-Lurksman *Master-of-Clerks *Compter-of-Stores *Quartermaster Tacpharnias was the Master-of-Lighters at Winstermill and Hermogënes was the Cot-Warden at Wormstool. Although Master-of-Clerks Podious Whympre technically held the same rank as Tacpharnias, he was effectively the second highest ranking officer at Winstermill because of his position as the highest ranking bureaucrat. Lamplighter-Sergeant Lamplighter-Sergeant or Sergeant-Lighter (usually only used by those of equal or higher rank) is an intermediate non-commissioned rank. At Winstermill it is equivalent to the following ranks and positions: *Peoneer-Sergeant *Carpenter *Housemason *Armourer *Pediteer Sergeant *Sergeant-Armourer *Leer *Provenderer *Secretary *Skold *Scourge *Wit *Fulgar Grindrod and Isambard Mulch are lamplighter-seargeants and the former was in charge of prentice training at Winstermill. Lampsman-Corporal Lampsman-Corporal or Lantern Under-Sergeant is a junior non-commissioned rank, at which point the lampsman begins commanding other lighters. They may be involved in the training of prentice-lighters, in which case the lampsman holds the rank of Under-Sergeant-of-Prentices. Lampsman-Corporal is equivalent to Corporal 1st Class and Register. Benedict and Poesides are both lampsman-corporals and the former was involved in the training of prentices, thus being an Under-Sergeant-of-Prentices. Lampsman 1st Class Lampsman 1st Class is the highest rank that a lamplighter can attain before being promoted to non-commissioned rank. It is possible for veteran lighters who are semiretired to still hold this rank, as was the case with Assimus, Bellicos, and Puttinger. Aubergene Wellesley holds this rank despite his young age as a result of his actions during the failed attempt to rescue the Warden-General's family in the Ichormeer. At Winstermill it is equivalent to the following ranks: *Seltzerman 2nd Class *House-Tinker *Ambuscadier 2nd Class *Pediteer 1st Class *Artilleryman 1st Class *Steward *Uhrsprechman (Night-Clerk) Lampsman 2nd Class Lampsman 2nd Class is an intermediate rank, falling between newly trained and veteran lighters. Once a a lamplighter has been promoted to this rank they are reassigned to tougher billets on the Conduit Vermis, with the most dangerous being the farthest east. At Winstermill it is equivalent to the following ranks and positions: *Pediteer 2nd Class *Artilleryman 2nd Class *Turnkey *Clerk 2nd Class Fadus Theudas was a Lampsman 2nd Class. Lampsman 3rd Class Lampsman 3rd Class is the beginning rank of a trained lamplighter. All prentice-lighters are promoted to this rank upon completion of their training. They are usually billeted on the western end of the Conduit Vermis to gain experience before being promoted. At Winstermill it is equivalent to the following ranks: *Driver *Pediteer 3rd Class *Under-Turnkey *Lictor *Under-Clerk *Night-Clerk *Storeman *Cook *Baxter *Chief Servants Although their training period was cut short by Podious Whympre, Rossamünd Bookchild and Threnody, along with their fellow prentices, were promoted to Lampsman 3rd Class and rushed into service. Against standard practice some of them were even billeted to the eastern end of the Conduit Vermis.Lamplighter, Chapter 19 Training ranks These are the ranks at which would-be enlisted lighters begin their training, either as teenagers in the case of prentices, or much younger in the case of lighter's boys. Prentice-lighter Lighter's Boy A Lighter's Boy is a young boy who is not yet old enough to begin serving as a prentice-lighter, but is employed on the serving staff of a fortress like Winstermill. They perform tasks such as acting as messengers, as one such boy was sent to deliver a summons to Threnody from Dolours.Lamplighter, Chapter 5 Becoming a Lighter's Boy is not a prerequisite to becoming a prentice, as the latter are also drawn from potential candidates recruited by a Lamplighter's Agent, as Rossamünd Bookchild was, or may be volunteers, as Arimis Arabis was. There are three ranks: *'Lighter's Boy 3rd Class' *'Lighter's Boy 2nd Class' *'Lighter's Boy 1st Class' Of these, only Lighter's Boy 1st Class is equivalent to another rank at Winstermill, that of Page. References Ranks